“What About Fighting”

Kay Nordgren

MSUM Intern

Nicollet Junior High

Burnsville, Minnesota

Description of the Lesson

What About Fighting is a lesson found in www.teachervision.com and it is for grade levels 3-8. This lesson is designed to help students identify potential positive and negative outcomes of using violence to resolve conflicts. This lesson takes approximately 30 minutes to teach. Materials used include chalkboard and chalk. See references for web site address, which was referred to earlier.

The lesson begins by having a class discussion about what students believe violence is and why they think some people use violence to resolve conflicts. After, put violence in the center of the chalkboard and then make two rows below it. One row will be for positive outcomes and one for negative outcomes of using violence. Have students come up with answers for the columns. Next, have students discuss the consequences of someone who fights at home, school, and on the playground. After, have the students come up with alternative ways of fighting without using violence. List the student’s ideas on the board. Now, have students come up with ideas about why so many people use violence even though there are so many negative consequences. Finally, have students come up with ideas about where people learn about fighting as a way of resolving conflict.

Connections to Minnesota Graduation Standards

This lesson on violence relates to the High Standards number 8 (Physical Education and Lifetime Fitness). The specific standard is under the category of using information to make decisions. The specific standard is under Individual/Community Health. Students are taught and understanding of violence and to use decision-making skills to choose alternatives to violence when dealing with anger.

References and Resources

Kreidler, W. (February 9, 2002). What About Fighting (On-line). Available:

www.teachervision.com.

http://coled.mankato.msus.edu/csp/resources/sampleguidance/eletest/students/kay.htm